A Recent Visit to Lahore: The Land of Hazrat Ali Hajveri, Also Known As Data Ganj Bakhsh (Data Sahib)

Recently, I got a chance to visit the historical city of Lahore; which is also a capital of Punjab province.

The city is famous for its historical buildings of Mughals Era. The city as we know it today, reached its peak of glory during the Mughal rulers, especially in the reign of Akbar the Great, who made it the capital of his kingdom. His son, Jehangir, is buried in its outskirts and his mausoleum is one of the places frequently visited by tourists and Lahorites alike. Close by is the mausoleum of the famous Mughal Empress, Noor Jehan, who is known for introducing the rose plant and for initiating several cultural movements in the Sub-Continent.

The British during their reign (1849 -1947) compensated Lahore, by harmoniously combining Mughal, Gothic and Victorian styles of architecture. Victorian heritage is only next to Mughal monuments. The GPO and YMCA buildings built to commemorate the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria - an event marked by the construction of clock towers and monuments all over India. They built some important buildings, like the High Court. the Government College, the Museums, the National College of Arts, Montgomery Hall, Tollinton Market, the Punjab University (Old Campus) and the Provincial Assembly. At one end of The Mall stands the University - perhaps the largest center of education in Asia. The city has built a new Campus in the quieter environments on the Canal Bank, but the old University buildings are still functioning.

Lahori's (People of Lahore) used to say "Lahore Lahore Hai" (Lahore is Lahore) because of its rich cultural heritage. Apart from everything in Lahore, from Mughal architecture to British monuments, whenever I got a chance to visit Lahore; I tried my best to visit the shrine of Data Ali Hajveri (Data Sahib) for spiritual peace and serenity.

And Almighty Allah gave me this chance again in this recent visit of Lahore. The peace and serenity; one finds sitting in front of Data Sahib, can't be found anywhere in Lahore. I captured few moments of my visit in my mobile camera to share with my readers to pass on a bit of peace and serenity I got from that visit.

The Entrance of Data Darbar (Shrine of Hazrat Ali Hajveri)

Meal (Langar) is Being Distributed outside the Shrine (Data Darbar)

People and visitors walking along the Bazaar.

Close views of main Sabz Gumbad (Green Dome) of Shrine.

Grassy sitting area for visitors in the premises of Shrine.

Few more images of Data Darbar.

I hope my readers and lovers of Data Ali Hajveri would love to see the recent pictures of the Holy Shrine of Data Sahib. I will try to share more of such visits with my readers very soon.

Hazrat Ali Hajveri Also Known As Data Ganj Bakhsh and Data Sahib - Spiritual Follower of Hazrat Abul Fazal Mohammad Khatli, in Junaidiya Sufi Order

The great poet Allama Iqbal RA mentioned:
“Fitrat key maqasad ki karta hey nigahbani
Ya benda e sehrai ya mard e kohistani.”

Meanings:
The personnel govern the objectives of nature,
One who is grown up in deserts (loneliness) or in mountains (strict on commitment)!

Abul Hassan Ali Ibn Usman Al-Jullabi Al-Hajvery Al-Ghaznawi or Abul Hassan Ali Hajvery (Arabic: علی بن عثمان الجلابی الهجویری الغزنوی‎) (sometimes spelled Hujwiri), also known as Data Ganj Bakhsh (Persian/Urdu: داتا گنج بخش ) or Data Sahib, was a Persian Sufi and scholar during the 11th century. He extensively contributed to the spreading of Islam in South Asia.

He was born in 400 A.H. in Ghazni (Afghanistan). He belonged to a Syed family (descendant of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon Him)). He completed his initial learning in Ghazni by memorizing the Holy Quran. Then he studied Arabic, Persian (Farsi), Hadith, Fiqh, Philosophy etc. At that time Ghazni was the centre of learning in Central Asia, and it was the empire of the famous Afghan ruler Sultan Mahmood Ghaznavi.

After finishing the worldly education, he started to search for the spiritual learning. In search for the spiritual education, he wandered many places, and ultimately became spiritual follower of Hazrat Abul Fazal Mohammad bin Khatli, in Junaidiya Sufi Order, who lived in Syria.

In Syria, Hazrat Ali Hajveri (Data Sahib) started his spiritual education under the supervision of Hazrat Abul Fazal, he slept less, ate less, and performed tough contemplations and meditation. After completing his spiritual training, he travelled to many countries and places like Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Arabia, Azerbaijan etc. There he came across many Sufi saints and dervishes.




Once he intertwined in a spiritual ambiguity and couldn’t solve it. Then he went to the Mazaar (tomb) of Hazrat Bayazid Bistami where he meditated for many days, until he finally solved that spiritual ambiguity. On another same type of occasion he couldn’t get any help from his long meditation at the tomb of Hazrat Bayazid Bistami; therefore, he left for Khurasan (A Province in Iran) and he stayed in a village, where he met a group of Sufi dervishes. Since Hazrat Ali Hajveri (Data Sahib) always wore simple and normal dress; so these Sufi dervishes thought that he was not one of them because they all were wearing specific dress of dervishes. Hazrat Ali Hajveri stayed with them; they ate delicious foods, and gave him a dry bread to eat. They also teased Hazrat Ali Hajveri by throwing crusts of fruits on him. Hazrat Ali Hazjveri addressed God: "O
God! If these people wouldn't be wearing the clothes of your friends
(dervishes), then I wouldn't tolerate their insulting behavior."


During the journey to Syria, he visited the tomb of the great Companion of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon Him), Hazrat Bilal (May Allah be pleased with him). There he slept for a while and found himself in Makkah, where he saw the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon Him) with an old man. He didn't recognize him and thought who he could be? Then Hazrat Ali Hajveri fell on the feet of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon Him) and kissed them. The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon Him) knew what Hazrat Ali Hajveri had in his mind, so He (P.B.U.H) told Ali Hajveri "This old man is Abu Hanifa, your Imam."

Later his spiritual teacher Hazrat Abul Fazal ordered him to go to Lahore to convey the spiritual teachings of Islam. He said, "Hazrat Shah Hussain Zanjani is already there for this purpose, so then why should I go to there? Hazrat Abul Fazal said, "It's none of your business, just go to Lahore." So he left Syria and came to Ghazni. From Ghazni he went to Peshawar and then to Lahore, in 1041 A.D (431 A.H). When he reached Lahore, he saw that people are taking a coffin towards the graveyard for burial. He asked who he is. People replied that it is the dead body of Hazrat Shah Hussain Zanjani. After hearing that, he understood why his teacher Hazrat Abul Fazal sent him to Lahore. After reaching to Lahore, he started to preach Islam and built a mosque there.


At that time Lahore was included in the Ghazni Kingdom, whose ruler was Sultan Mahmood Ghaznavi. And the governer of Lahore was Ra'e Raju, who was a Hindu and had many great magical skills. People of Lahore were used to supply milk to Ra'e Raju in big quantity, as a capitation. Once an old woman was on her way to pass before Hazrat Ali Hajveri, holding a pitcher poured with milk. Hazrat Ali Hajveri asked her to give him some milk from that. The woman refused and said that she has to give it to Ra'e Raju. Hazrat Ali Hajveri said: "Give some milk to me; by the grace of God, your cow will produce much more milk than usual". The woman gave him the pot; Hazrat Ali Hajveri drank some milk, and then threw the remaining into the river. The old woman when went to her home, she was surprised to see the breasts of her cow were full of milk again. She poured all of her pots from milk, but still the cow's breasts were full. Soon this news spread all around the Lahore, and people started to visit Hazrat Ali Hajveri, and all people brought milk for him, and he also drank some milk from their pots and then threw the remaining into the river, and all of their cows started to produce more milk. So they stopped to supply milk to Ra'e Raju.

Later Ra'e Raju sent one of his disciples to Hazrat Ali Hajveri, as his disciples also had mystical abilities. That disciple didn't come back, so Ra'e Raju sent another disciple, who also didn't come back. In that way, he sent all of his disciples, but no one came back at all. Finally he himself went to Hazrat Ali Hajveri, in anger. Ra'e Raju challenged Hazrat Ali Hajveri to show him any miracle. Hazrat Ali Hajveri replied: "I'm not a juggler." But Ra'e Raju tried to impress him with his miracles, and started flying in the air; Hazrat Ali Hajveri ordered his shoes to bring him down. So the shoes of Hazrat Ali Hajveri went to the flying Ra'e Raju and started to strike on his head to bring him down. Ra'e Raju was inspired and embraced Islam on his hands. After accepting Islam he changed his name as Shaikh Ahmed Hindi.

When Hazrat Ali Hajveri built a mosque in Lahore, that mosque's front was towards south, and differed from all other mosques of Lahore. So there became a doubt that this mosque's front isn't towards Kaa'ba. The Scholars of Lahore objected over that mosque, but Hazrat Ali Hajveri didn't reply them. When the mosque was built completely, he invited all scholars of Lahore & said to them: "You objected over this mosque's Ka'ba direction, now look by yourself in which direction Ka'ba actually is!" When they looked at the front, they saw Kaa'ba, as they are sitting before Kaa'ba in Makka. All scholars felt ashamed after watching that reality and apologized.

Hazrat Ali Hajveri also built a room adjoining to that mosque, and used that room as Khanqa (Spiritual School). Many unbelievers accepted Islam on his hands; many people touched the higher stages of spirituality under his guidance. He married twice, but both of his wives died soon after marriage. He had a son, named "Hasan".

He stayed in Lahore for 21 years, and then went to Syria to see his
spiritual teacher Hazrat Abul Fazal. He again came back to Lahore after the death of Hazrat Abul Fazal in 453 A.H.

Hazrat Ali Hajveri wrote many books, some of his books are: Diwan-e-She'r; Minhajuddin; Al-Bayan Lahal- Al-Ayan; Israrul Kharq Wal-Mauniyat; Behrul Quloob; Kitab Fana Wa Baqa; Birri'ayat Be-Huqooq-Ullah; Kashful Israr;Sharah-e-Kalam; and Kashful Mahjub.

He died at the age of 65 in 465 A.H., in Lahore.

When Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti came to Lahore in 561 A.H (1165 AD), he stayed at the tomb of Hazrat Ali Hajveri for two weeks, where he meditated. And when he finished his meditation, he said a couplet in Farsi:

Ganj Bukhsh Faiz-e-Alam; Mazhar-e-Noor- e-Khuda
Naqisa-ra Pir-e-Kamil; Kamila-ra Rahnuma

Meaning:

Ganj Buskh (Bestower of Spiritual Treasures) is a grace to the world; amanifester of God's light.
A perfect spiritual teacher for the beginners; a guide for perfected.

Shrine of "Lal Shahbaz Qalandar" in Sehwan, Sind - - A Saint Equally Adored By Hindus And Muslims: Embraced the Qalandar Order of Sufism At Twenty

The mosque that is built in the hearts of the saints
Is the place of worship for all, for God dwells there
(Jalaluddin Rumi)

The original name of ‘Lal Shahbaz Qalandar’ was Syed Muhammad Usman who was born in 1177 AD in Marwand, Iran. His father, Syed Ibrahim Kabiruddin, was a righteous and devout dervish, and his mother was a superior princess. His intimates migrated from Iraq and settled down in Meshed, from where they again migrated to Marwand. During the Medieval era, Meshed and other cities of that region were prominent centres of knowledge, culture and civilization.

In very young age as a teen age boy, Shahbaz Qalandar proved strong religious leanings. He learnt the Holy Quran by heart just at age of seven, and at twenty embraced the Qalandar order of Sufism. ‘Qalandar’ is a type of dervish who is usually dressed in beggars’ clothes, likes poverty and sternness and has no permanent home. Lal Shahbaz Qalandar roamed throughout Middle East and came to Sind from Baghdad via Dasht-i-Makran. In 1263, he arrived in Multan, which at that time was at the height of beauty and splendour. The people of Multan insisted him to stay but he continued his journey southward and ultimately settled down in Sehwan, then a famous centre of learning and popular place of worship for Hindus, in the southern part of Sindh, where he lived in the trunk of a tree on the border of the town. He stayed at Sehwan for six years and during this period he spread the light of Islam, providing direction to thousands of people.

Sehwan is perhaps the town with the oldest continuous existence in Sind. It rises on the top of a conical hill, and nearby lie the ruins of a huge fort supposed to have been founded by Alexander (the Great). Some coins of Alexander’s time are reported to have been found here. Sehwan was the capital of a Buddhist ruler who was brother of Chandragupta II, the third of the Guptan empire in the 4th century AD. From the time of Arab incursion in 712, Sehwan was very important in the history of Sind since it commanded the route from the Upper to the Lower Indus, through which all intruders from either north or south had to pass. And control of the fort was vital to the success of every battle.

Lal Shahbaz Qalandar is an tremendously popular patron saint cherished and adored alike by Hindus and Muslims of Sind. He was a great missionary, mystic, scholar, philologist and poet. Several books in Persian and Arabic on philology and poetry are attributed to him. He was called ‘Lal’ (red) because of his red dress, ‘Shahbaz’ (falcon) due to his noble and divine spirit that soared like a falcon higher and higher in the limitless heavens and ‘Qalandar’ since he belonged to Qalandria order of Sufism and was saintly, exalted and intoxicated with love for eternal being of God. The legend goes that the present fakirs in Sewhan sent him a bowl of milk filled to the edge indicating that there was no room for anything more. But surprisingly, he returned the bowl with a beautiful flower floating on the top. This legend spread far and wide by the time of his death in 1274, after living a good span for 97 years.

The shrine around his tomb, built in 1356, gives a stunning look with its Sindhi kashi tiles, mirror work and two gold-plated doors - one donated by the late Shah of Iran, the other by the late Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The inner chamber is about 100 yards square with the silver canopied grave in the middle. On one side of the marble floor is a row of about 12 inch high folding wooden stands on which are set copies of Quran for devotees to read. On the other side, beside a bundle of burning “Agarbattis” (joss sticks), are rows of “Diyas” (small oil lamps) lighted by Hindu devotees. The Hindus regarded him as the personification of Bhartihari, the saintly brother of King Vikramaditya, who is believed to have worshipped Shiva at the venue where Lal Shahbaz's shrine is situated with all its splendour and beauty.

Thousands of followers gather around the tomb daily; while every Thursday their number increases and multiplies. Especially at the time of his ‘Urs’ (death anniversary) being a carnival, as well as, a religious event and celebrated every year on the 18th day of Shaában (Eight month of Islamic/lunar calendar), Sehwan springs to life and becomes the centre of attraction of more than half a million pilgrims from all over Pakistan. On each morning of the three days feast, the narrow lanes of Sewhan are packed to capacity as thousands and thousands of pilgrims, fakirs and followers make their way to the shrine to communicate with the saint, offer their tributes and make a wish. Most of the people present wreath and a green chadar (a cloth sheet used to cover a tomb) with Quraánic message in silver or gold threads. Buzzing of verses, singing and dancing in praise of the saint continues till late at night. A devotional dance known as ‘Dhamal’, being a frenzied and blissful whirl of the head and body is a special custom that is performed at the rhythmic beat of the ‘Dhole’ (a big barrel-shaped drum), some of them being of gigantic sized and placed in the courtyard of the shrine. Bells, gongs, cymbals and horns make a thunderous din, and the dervishes, clad in long robes, beads, bracelets and colored head-bands spin faster and faster in a hypnotic trance, until with a final deafening scream they run wildly through the doors of the shrine to the courtyard beyond.

Special dance of 'Dhamal' is shown here in the clip below:

Not only the people gather from all over Pakistan but also the tourists and the foreigners are captivated at this mesmerizing scene and desire to enjoy it again and again. Such were the persons who really touched the highest spiritual experience. Through their transcendence, their relation to God is such that in them the Divine personality seems to reflect itself and through them is revealed to his followers, and the grace of God is dispensed to those who invoke God in his name.

Hazrat Sultan Bahu (Allah Bless His Soul) - - One of The Most Prominent Sufi Saints of Sub-continent And Founder of The Sarwari Qadri Sufi Order

-->Hazrat Faqir Sultan Bahu Awan was the founder of the Sarwari Qadiri Sufi order and is one of the most beloved Sufi poet saints of the Punjab region in what is today Pakistan.

Hazrat Sultan Bahu is one of the most prominent sufi saints of the later Mughal Period in the history of Indo Pakistan subcontinent. He is often called Sultanul Arifin (the Sultan of Gnostics) in the Sufi circles. His family belonging to the tribe of Alvids called Awan and coming from Arabia via Hirat ( Afghanistan ) had settled in the Soon Sakesar Valley of Khushab District in Punjab. His Father, Sultan Bazid, had served in the army of the Emperor Shah Jehan as a high ranking officer and so in acknowledgment to his services he had been awarded a Jagir in the Shorkot area. The family migrated to the place and settled at Qalai Shorkot, a settlement at the bank of River Chenab (now in District Jhang, Punjab). Hazrat Sultan Bahu was born there, probably in 1628 A.D.

Even in the early childhood, it was perceived by all those around him that a strange light shone upon his face which compelled even the Hindus to utter Kalima Tayyiba (there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger) and embrace Islam in his presence. His father left him when he was just a child but his mother Bibi Rasti, remained alive till he was forty years old.

His mother took great care of his education but it was just irregular because he was often found under the influence of blissful states. It seemed that his education remained informal to the end. Whatever he expressed or wrote after-words, it was in the light of his own spiritual vision and knowledge.

His mother taught him the important sufi exercises of Zikr (invocation of Allah and His Names) and he perhaps needed no more guidance after that. He started to walk the path of Sufis spontaneously. His spiritual experiences and vision improved his mind and spirit with so much knowledge that he far excelled his contemporary Sufi masters and sufi poets in Tasawwuf (Sufism) and Suluk ( all about the Sufi Way and its stations and states). In a book he remarks: Though we have little of formal learning, yet the spirit has been blessed with holiness by esoteric knowledge. In fact he may be called a born saint.

He got married in his early youth and twice or thrice afterwards and had sons and daughters but all this did not deter him from his dervish wanderings, to visit the sacred places and look for the spiritual company of his fellow Sufis.

At the age of thirty he had an extraordinary vision in which he saw Prophet Muhammad ( may peace be upon him ) through the spiritual recommendations and support of Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani. The prophet himself took his bay'ah and allowed him to pass on the Sufi teachings. He often mentions in his books about his presence in the spiritual meetings presided by the Prophet himself. However, in the treatise "Of the Spirit " he calls Hazrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani his Murshid ( spiritual director ). He is always lavish in the praise of Hazrat Shaikh and calls himself Qadiri. In his eyes the teachings of the Qadiriya order were most effective for the spiritual development of the disciples. But at the same time it is evidently clear that by the Qadriya order he means the one that he himself represented. He names it "Sarwari Qadiri ".

During the same period when he was a young man of about thirty, the war of succession between Dara Sikoh and Aurangzeb was fought. His later writings are sufficient proof of his moral and spiritual support for Aurangzeb who won and became the emperor. He himself, however, never cared to have any concern with the court or the courtiers.

All his life he kept travelling to the far-flung places initiating disciples and passing on the spiritual knowledge and wisdom to the seekers of truth. He might have written most of the books during such journeys. He never made a permanent Khaneqah during his lifetime.

Sometimes he fell into ecstasy and passed his days and nights in the state of absorption. Many places are still remembered and venerated where he stayed for some long or short periods to contemplate in solitude.

In "Manaqibi Sultani " a few of his journeys have been mentioned. His traveling in Saraiki region up to Sindh, his journey to Delhi where he met the emperor Aurangzeb in the Jamia Mosque and his visits to the tombs at Multan and other cities have been indicated.

He died in 1691 A.D. at Shorkot where he was buried close to the bank of the river. His body had, however, to be transferred twice to other nearby places due to the floods. Now the place he lies buried under a beautiful tomb is called Darbar Hazrat Sultan Bahu (District Jhang, Punjab).

He wrote many books in Persian. He also wrote ghazals and poems in Persian as a well as Abyaat Punjabi. His Punjabi poetry contains spiritual fervour and passionate expression of the exalted state of Divine Love. One is transported to the spiritual domains while one listens to his Dohas in a melodious voice of the singers. About thirty epistles, treatises and books are still available. Almost all of his work has been written under inspiration in his style peculiar to him. Most often he uses "scatter method" diffusing Sufi doctrine and the methods of spiritual realization in his writings

He was the greatest teacher and propagator of Faqr (spiritual poverty) which is the shining guiding star in his teachings. He may be considered one of the greatest Revealers in the history of Sufism.

His Dargah has always been supervised by the Sajjadah Nashins (care takers) of his own family. The present Sajjadah Nashin also belongs to his line.

It is strange that his fame rose and spread world-wide after his death. Only recently Scholars have turned attention to present and interpret his doctrine in a systematic way. The scope to edit, translate, interpret and transmit his work is still very vast. It is hoped that the next generation of sufi scholars and teachers will continue to perform this tremendous job more efficiently.

I quote the verse written on the wall of the mosque adjoining his tomb.
Oh noble Sultan Bahu! in the realm of reality, you are perfect.
Help me in all the spiritual states, in interiority as well
as in exteriority.